Unit 2 Notes: How Language and Culture Shape Who You Are (AP Chinese Language and Culture)

Identity (in a language class)

How you understand yourself and how others recognize you (roles, group memberships, traits); language choices also project a “version” of yourself.

Social meaning of language

The way language signals closeness/distance, respect, education level, region, age, and attitudes—not just information.

Labels and categories

How the words available in a language make certain distinctions feel natural and shape how you notice social relationships.

Kinship terms (Chinese)

Detailed family relationship words (e.g., 舅舅、姑姑、表姐、堂弟) that precisely encode family roles and can increase awareness of family structure.

Social expectations embedded in speech

Norms for politeness, disagreement, and addressing others that reflect and shape how you relate to people over time.

你 vs 您

Chinese pronoun choice marking social distance/respect; 您 is more polite/formal than 你.

Forms of address (称呼)

Titles/names used to address people (e.g., 老师、同学、师傅、阿姨/叔叔, 经理/主任/教授) that encode relationship and status.

Family name first (in Chinese contexts)

Using surname before given name (e.g., 王老师) often signals formality and group/family orientation in many settings.

小 / 老 as name prefixes

Adding 小 (e.g., 小王) or 老 (e.g., 老李) to show familiarity/affection/social positioning when appropriate to the relationship and context.

Face (面子)

A concept of social dignity/respect; communication often aims to protect face, making “how” you say things as important as “what” you say.

Softening language

Using mitigators (可能、好像、有点儿、一下) to make statements or requests less direct and more considerate.

Give reasons before refusal (先解释再拒绝)

A common interaction pattern: explain first, then refuse, to maintain harmony and relationships.

Compliment + modesty

Responding to praise with humility (rather than direct acceptance) as a common politeness practice in many contexts.

对不起 vs 不好意思

对不起 can sound heavier (you caused harm); 不好意思 often fits minor inconvenience or embarrassment.

Dialect / regional variety (方言/地方话)

Local speech varieties and accents that signal hometown, family background, and community belonging.

Standard Mandarin (普通话)

A standard variety often associated with formality, education, and broader mobility; commonly used at school/work.

Register control

Skillfully adjusting language style (formal/casual) to match context; style shifting is not “being fake.”

Code-switching

Alternating between languages/varieties (e.g., English and Chinese) in one conversation; can signal shared bilingual identity.

Language creates identity (not just reflects it)

Repeated language choices train social behavior and invite reactions from others, shaping confidence and self-concept.

AP culture framework: Perspectives–Practices–Products

A way to analyze culture by linking values/attitudes (perspectives) to what people do (practices) and what they make/use (products).

Cultural beliefs and values

Shared ideas about what is important, respectful, successful, appropriate, or meaningful; they shape communication rules.

Collectivism vs individualism (comparison tool)

Organizing labels for cultural comparison (e.g., decision-making, group harmony vs personal choice) that should be defined with examples and not treated as stereotypes.

Multiculturalism

The reality (and sometimes policy/ideal) that multiple cultural groups coexist with interaction among languages, traditions, and identities.

Assimilation

Becoming more similar to the dominant culture (often including language shift and adopting mainstream norms); can be voluntary or pressured and is not all-or-nothing.

Selective assimilation / Integration

Selective assimilation: adopting some dominant-culture norms while keeping heritage practices; integration: participating broadly while maintaining key heritage identity parts.